Vanessa joined the School of Aviation in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Diploma in Innovation Management and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of New South Wales.

Vanessa's research focuses on human factors and safety, accessibility management, and educational design and delivery applied across several domains, including

• Psychosocial hazards and work re-design
• Safety and risk management
• Educational design, delivery, and digital technologies

Vanessa is an Associate of the Disability Innovation Institute, which seeks to support disability research and foster collaboration at UNSW.